NFL announces time, date for Chiefs' Week 18 game vs. Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Chargers officially has a date and time. The NFL leaves the final week of the season as "to be decided" on the schedule to ensure that the most pivotal matchups are placed in prime-time windows. The game won't exactly be a big one, as […]

Charles Goldman — NFL Managing Editor

Dec 31, 2023 11:13 PM EST

The Kansas City Chiefs' Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Chargers officially has a date and time.

The NFL leaves the final week of the season as "to be decided" on the schedule to ensure that the most pivotal matchups are placed in prime-time windows. The game won't exactly be a big one, as the Chiefs have already clinched the AFC West division for an eighth consecutive season.

Kansas City is locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC conference already and Los Angeles has little left to play for outside of pride. The NFL didn't see this game as one that was fit for prime viewership, with the game being assigned to afternoon time slot at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 7.

The full Week 18 schedule: pic.twitter.com/VFuZlvCLQW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 1, 2024

This just so happens to be Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes' favorite time to play a game, at least during the regular season.

“I think during the regular season, I prefer like that three o’clock window just because it’s right there, especially when you’re at home, you get to go home and watch the night game and everything like that,” Mahomes said in October. “Not too late. But once you get towards the end of the season, I like the primetime ones at seven, no matter if it’s Monday, Thursday, or Sunday night."

They'll face a unique challenge in Week 18, whether Kansas City opts to play their starters or not. This is a very different Chargers team than the one the Chiefs faced back on Oct. 22. Justin Herbert has been placed on season-ending injured reserve, with Easton Stick taking over at quarterback. Both HC Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco have been relieved of their duties and replaced by interim HC Giff Smith and interim GM JoJo Wooten.